The Portland daily press., 1887-06-10
THE sewALL GAR HEATER.
Annual Meeting of the Stockholders
Of the Company.
Story Of the Progress of a Great In
vention.

The annual meeting of the Sewall Safety
Car Heating Company was held yesterday
afternoon. The President, Hon. Bion Brad
bury, being absent on account of illness.
Col. J. w. Spaulding was chosen chairman.
! The report of the general manager, ID. d.
Sewall was submitted, showing the great
success of the management in introducing
the heater to the notice and favor of large
number Of influential railroads and railroad
men.
The report of the mechanical superintend-
ent was submitted, showing complete sue
cess in the practical workings of the system,
and the report of the treasurer showed
good balance in favor of the corporation
After the reports there was an election of
the following;
Drectors-Bion Bradbury, Charles B. strout,
George Burnham, Jr., John B. Curtis, Portlad;
| Daniel D. Sewall, Augusta.
Secretary and Treasurer-Charles B. Strout.
General Managers Report.
have the honor to submit the following
report. The time of our annual meeting oc-
curing after the close of the cold season,
and before the time of preparation for win
ter business, which is not entered upon till
the close of the summer vacation, must
prove convenient time for us In that it en-
ables us to close the work Of the year at
season Of comparative leisure hereafter,
though at this first report the management
are in a similar position to that of farmer
who entered newly upon his farm in late au-
tumn, supplied it and set it in order in win
ter, and at the close of spring planting
should prepare report of the results of his
work, except that many difficulties were in
this case to be met and overcome that sur
round new and untried business, in a field
of work extending not only over the railways
of our own systems, but reaching to coun-
tries wherever heating is required in railway
cars. lga6H
Since the organization of the company, its
original patents have been supplemented by
| patent coupler, steam trap, and other i'm
| provements passed upon and allowed, and
| remaining in accordance with the advice of
the attorneys of the company for final issue
till patents can be legally secured in other
countries, and also to put as far forward as
may be the time when the legal life of the
patent begins. All that have been issued by
the inventor, Mr.. Sewall, have been duly as
signed to the company, according to his
agreement, SO that the patent property in
patents of this company has been continu-
Ousy and carefully looked after and materi-
ally increased. Besides these, others are in
process OF preparation, and already applied
| for, which cannot for obvious reasons be de-
scribed; altogether constituting most valu-
able combination of patents, covering and
| belonging TO this system and its connections
and relations to railway work.
| ADVERTISING.
| To make the railways acquainted with our
| system we have advertised it first through
| the lpresS and personal solicitations and
secondly by practical operation and illus
| tratlon In railway travel In the press the
principal railway publications have publish
ed and still issue suitable advertisements
and the public interest, melted by success
sion Of accidents where fire played q terrible
part, that steam heating would have pre-
vented, has called out from the press full
discussion OF the general subject and forced
its attention upon legislative bodies AT the
same time this intense public interest de-
mandlng immediate attention of railway
managers required prompt and general pre-
sentation for which under such conditions
the ordinary means sof advertising were not
| sufficient, and larger outlay than would
| otherwise have been required was made
necessary. Inventive genius of all capacities
was wonderfully stimulated, and a very
great number OF heating systems each claim
| ing the greatest perfection, often in inverse
| proportion to their real merit were present.
| ed TO railway managers and experts who
were naturally seeking the best in point of
safety, simplicity and economy in all respects.
10 test any considerable number of these
/
IN suitable temperatures. Besides, it is high
| ly desirable under present systems of trans
| continental travel and exchange of cars. be-
tween connecting lines that some agreement
upon system be arrived at, at least so far
| as couplings are concerned, $50 that car
| passing from one to any other road or train
may readily connect with the heat passing
through other cars in the same train and
| hence the matter of general adoption by
| railways who are really anxious to
| make selection ofsystem and equipment of
| rolling stock as early as possible, and vet
| are conslderate of the opinion of others is
made matter Of longer time than under
| other circumstances would be the case. and
| Tor these reasons contracts for general euuip-
ment that otherwise might have been in
hand are not yet received.
BESIDES the general press discussion in
scientific and railway papers which has had
our attention, and where illustrated descrip- |
tons and scientific explanations have been
made by experts and the facts of our general
have been made of the principal parts of our |
system and pamphlet prepared with brief |
description of system and explanation. of |
engrayings, which you have seen. Circulars |
nav nave also been printed showing the perfec- |
tlon OF mechanical construction of the sys- |
tenn and its progress; its practical success |
in heating cars by steam perfectly from the |
engine under the most difficult conditions |
without perceptible draught ON the engine,
with appliances that would not freeze in the /
coidest weather or become disabled its ab- |
solute safety and economy, and ease of man
agement. by unskiled labor; and finally |
anaaoSG;aelng the practical settlement of the
last dllnculty that had been urged by the Op-
ponents OF steam heating by heating the
longest continuous train ever at once con-
tlnuously heated under difficult conditions
ana meeting the most critical tests of disin-
terested and competent scientific railway ex-
perts. All these documents and circ1Isrs
nave peen distributed to railway officials |
throughout the United States and Canada
4, IL must De plain to railway officials as to
railway accidents from fires in cars II cannot
De urged by any railway that any excuse
exists when after nearly year of notice of |
system entirely safe, practical and econ |
omlcai they assume the risk of continuing |
well its danger.
In the matter of personal solicitat tion the |
system was first presented outside the State |
OF Maine to the New England Railway Club |
at Boston on the evening of the 9th of Feb |
ruary of the present year, and at about this
date the work Of advertising commenced.
At this meeting which was largely adyer-
tlsed and attended, not only by the leading
railway men OF Boston and vicinity, but by
mechanical experts from distant roads and
citles In the Western and central sections of
tne country. by this large and exceedingly |
able and critical assembly of practical raif- |
way men the most favorable opinions were
frankly. expressed. The General Manager
ana assistant also appeared before the rail-
way committee OF the Legislature of Massa-
chnsetts, where large number of interested
railway men and experts also attended. and
systems OF steam heating and makeshifts |
Tor protection from fire were presented and
urged by their inventors. Especial interest
was manifested in the appliances of this
company.
AT meeting of the Western Railway Club
In chicago before large audience of railway
experts composed of the best scientific rail- |
way ability in the management of the Great |
western and Central railway systems of our
country, meeting after ample notice and on
general invitation the general manager and |
mechanical superintendent presented the |
Sewall system with such success, as the rail-
way papers show, and secured such fayora-
PIE attenton.as warrants the confidence of
tne management in success with the princi-
pal western roads.
Again at a meeting of the Master Car
Builders Club in New York city the manage
ment were met by large audience, had the
closest attention of this body of railway ex-
perts with similar results.
In answer to a notice from the railway
commissioners OF New York the system was |
fully explained in their rooms at Albany and
many of Its principal and important features
supported by the unexpected and unsolicited
testimony Of the best railway experts so that
In the search for system to commend as
suitable for that State the management have
confidence OF the most favorable results